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Marilyn Gonzalez and Jessica Pedraza

Both Sergeant Marilyn Gonzalez and her daughter, Specialist Jessica Pedraza, serve in the Massachusetts Army National Guard.

In 2010, Marilyn received orders to deploy to Iraq, but her daughter Jessica did not. When Jessica found out that her mother was about to be deployed, she changed her job so she would go to war with her mom.

Originally aired December 8, 2012 on NPR’s Weekend Edition Saturday.

Photos on left: Marilyn and Jessica at their base in Kuwait in 2010.
Photo on right: The mother-daughter duo on one of the trucks they drove in Iraq in Camp Speicher, Tikrit, Iraq.
Courtesy of Jessica Pedraza

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Marilyn Gonzalez (MG): When you told me that you wanted to deploy, I was so angry.

Jessica Pedraza (JP): I couldn’t be the person who had to stay home and worry about you being away. I couldn’t do it.

And, whenever I would go out on a mission, you would go in my room and make my bed, and sometimes you would come back from your missions and catch me sleeping on your bed.

MG: I hope you know they used to tease me. But it was hard not to be mom. Every time I saw you I wanted to just go up and hug you and I couldn’t do it!

JP: I just remember I always had to kiss you on the cheek and run–“Mom, I love you!”

MG: Like that day that you said it on the radio.

JP: I said “Roger…I love you.” And I remember, somebody interrupted and they were like “Hey, none of that over the radio!” And then I heard you just say it right back.

MG: Well, I just want to say that, that you were willing to put your life on the line to be there with me, I could never tell you how much that means to me.

JP: You know, I know that in a way you were kind of upset at the fact that I chose to do what I did, and give up six college acceptances that I had, to do this with you. But I think that we have the mother and daughter bond, and we have a soldiers’ bond. There’s just nothing more you can ask for.